"I challenge the bond," she had said, her voice slicing through the night air like a blade.
The Moonstone had shattered only hours before, sealing the fated bond between Olivia and Alpha Alex. But now that bond was being tested—not by dark magic, not by prophecy, but by an envious heart.
Olivia stood rooted at the edge of the moonlit lake. Her pulse beat a wild rhythm beneath her skin. The eyes of the pack burned into her from every direction—some wide with disbelief, others narrowed with judgment. Even the night itself seemed to hold its breath.
"You can't be serious," Alex's voice growled, sharp and dangerous as a shifting storm. He stepped between them, his golden eyes locked on Eunice. "This isn't just a challenge—it's treason against fate."
"It's tradition," Eunice countered coolly, her arms crossed. "The Trial of Blood and Moon exists for a reason. If a Luna is unfit, the pack has the right to see her worth tested."
"She is not unfit."
"She is untested." Eunice's voice softened into something mocking as her eyes fell on Olivia. "Let the moon judge her again. This time, in combat."
Olivia's heart pounded, but she raised her chin. "I accept the trial."
Alex turned to her in disbelief. "No. Olivia, you don't have to do this. She's trying to break you."
"She won't," Olivia said, her voice low but firm. "And if I don't stand up now, I'll never be seen as their Luna. I'd rather face her blades than live in her shadow."
Eunice smiled faintly, then bowed mockingly. "Seven days, healer."
And with that, she vanished into the trees, the darkness swallowing her whole.
---
The Next Morning
The pack was restless.
By sunrise, whispers raced through the territory like wildfire. They echoed through the market trails, across the training fields, and around the council halls.
> "Eunice challenged the Luna?"
"Does that even happen anymore?"
"She'll tear that girl apart."
Olivia felt every word like a stone in her chest. She was no stranger to being underestimated. But this? This was war.
She retreated to her grandmother's cottage at the edge of the forest. The scent of herbs and ash clung to the air, grounding her in something familiar.
Grandmother Elinor stood waiting by the fire, already brewing a strong tea for focus and clarity. Her long gray braid trailed over one shoulder, and her sharp eyes studied Olivia carefully.
"So," she said, "the pack wants a show."
"They want blood," Olivia murmured, sitting heavily on the bench.
"Then give them more than blood," Elinor replied. "Give them a Luna."
---
The Training Begins
To Olivia's surprise, it was Alex who volunteered to train her personally.
Each morning, he waited at the edge of the forest—arms folded, gaze unreadable. He said little, but his presence was unwavering.
"You need more than instincts," he said on the first day, handing her a wooden staff. "You need control. Timing. Confidence."
The training was brutal. From dawn until dusk, she sparred with him in the clearing behind the Alpha's den. At first, she stumbled through every form, tripped on her own feet, dropped her blade. But Alex never mocked her.
He corrected her.
He pushed her.
He taught her how to fall—and more importantly, how to rise.
By the third day, bruises lined her arms like medals. Her palms were blistered. Her legs ached. But her movements had changed—sharper, faster, steadier. Her wolf stirred more easily now, rising to the surface without fear.
One evening, after hours of combat drills, Olivia collapsed onto the grass, panting. The moonlight bathed her in silver, sweat clinging to her skin.
Alex sat beside her quietly.
"You're not the same girl I met last week," he said.
"I don't feel like her," Olivia admitted, staring up at the sky. "She didn't know how to fight. Or how to lead."
"You've always known how to lead," Alex said. "You just didn't know anyone would follow."
She turned to him. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because I don't want to lose you," he said simply.
The words hung in the air like a secret. Olivia felt them settle into her chest—soft, strong, undeniable.
She looked away before her heart betrayed her.
---
The Dream
On the sixth night, Olivia dreamed of wolves.
Two massive beasts circled one another under a blood-red moon. One was white as snow, eyes glowing silver. The other black as coal, snarling with rage, golden eyes full of fire.
They lunged. They clashed. Teeth met flesh. Blood spilled across the snow. The white wolf fell. But as the black one turned to deliver the final blow—
The white wolf rose again, burning with light.
Olivia awoke gasping.
And she knew.
This trial wasn't just for the pack.
It was for her—to claim the Luna she had always been.
---
The Day Before
Word spread that the Trial of Blood and Moon would take place in the Sacred Hollow—the same place fated mates once swore eternal vows.
How ironic, Olivia thought. Where love was meant to bloom, blood would be spilled.
She stood at the mirror, dressing in simple black training leathers. Her long dark hair was braided tightly. No makeup. No jewelry. No crown.
Just a warrior now.
Alex found her at the door.
"You ready?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "But I will be."
He placed something in her palm—a pendant shaped like a crescent moon. "It belonged to my mother," he said. "She wore it when she faced her own trials. She'd want you to have it."
Olivia closed her fingers around the pendant. For the first time, she didn't feel fear.
She felt fire.
---